Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

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Howard R. Marra
already made rnostly in small paper. She can not wait when waiting costs her a million of franca per dicm, and vili be forccd to cross the river and enter Piedmontese territory for self-preservation. She will thus appear to he the aggressor, but the reality is on the other side.
An order of the day just issued by Marshal Guylai [sic] amounts almost to a declaration of war, and plainly tells those soldiers that thcy will soon be in Piedmontese cruarters. I drink the crisis immincnt, but must add that the key of truth is not in Turin. It is in Paris, London, and Vienna that the real state of things must be sought. Here in Turin ali are before the scencs, even the King himself, with the sole exception of Cavour. I can only give you the pubKcly known faets and the universa! opinion of ali classe and ali grades of people that war is almost immediate.
John Y. Mason a Lewis Cass
Legation of the United States, Paris, Aprii 23,1859. No. 385
Sir: I send herewith a copy of the Momteur Universel of this morning, which announces the signincant faets that the Government of Austria had addressed to the Sardinian Government a direct cornm unica tion, inviting the latter to place its milrtary force on the peace footing, and to discharge volun-teers enrolled in its service. That this direct communication has been sent to Turin by an aid de camp of Gen. Guillay [sic] Commander in Ghief of the Austrian army in Lombardy; that this officer had orders to await an answer for three days, and to make known that a dilatory response would be considered as a refusai. No doubt is entertained that at the expiration of this short delay Austria will commence hostilities.
The officiai journal announces that England and Russia have formally and without hesitation protested against this conduct of Austria, and the Emperor Napoleon announces the names of the Major General of the army of the Alps, and the several commanders of the four corps d'armée and of a separate corps. Large bodies of troops have been put in motion from France for the frontier. It is Btated in an authentic manner that the army of the Alps and its adjuncts will embody three hundred thousand men, under the personal command of the Emperor, with Marshal Randon *) as the chief of his staff. You will observe that it is not stated that Prussia has uniteti in the protest. But it is anuounced, apparently on good authority, that Prussia has determined to order an army of 130,000 men on the service of protecting Germany, and that her representa-tive in the Germanie Diet will introduce a proposition to require ali the States composing the Confcderation to contribute troops for the same purposc. There is no doubt that Prussia will unite in the protest, and the Italian States of Au­stria are not considered as within the protection of the Germanie Confcderation.
Europe appears to be on the eve of a formidable war. The three days will expire on Tuesday night, the 26th inst., and as it is hardly possible that
]) Jacques Alexandre Randon (1795-1871). Maresciallo di Francia. Mori a Ginevra; Scrìsse Mémoires (1875).